David m



(No Model.) V

, D. M. MAGPHERSON.

HAND TRUCK.

No. 401,506. Patented Apr. 16, 1889.

N, PETERS, Phalo-Lithognphun wnhin wn, 0.6.

UNITED STATES ATENT rricn.

DAVID M. MACPHERSON, OF LANCASTER, ONTARIO, CANADA.

HAN D-TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,506, dated April 16, 1889.

Application filed February 4, 1889- $erial No. 298,650. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID M. MACPHER- SON, of Lancaster, in the Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand- Trucks; and I. do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1. is a side elevation of m yimproved. truck. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, and Fig. 3 an end view.

My invention has for its object to construct a hand-truck which shall be specially adapted for conveniently removing boxes of cheese, whereby the boxes will require but little handling and not be liable to injury during shipment or delivery.

My invention consists of a truck having two inclined skids supported at one end by a Wheeled aXle and at the other end by two handles, which bear on the ground, and having a jaw pivoted to the skids, and said jaws connected at the lower endby toggle-bars and a spirally-coiled spring,and side bars secured to the upper part of the jaws and to the skid to which said jaw is pivoted, so that by deflecting the toggle-bars the jaws and side bars will grip the load laid upon theskids, and when released the load will slide gently down the skids without handling.

AA are inclined parallel skids connected by transverse bars a. The lower ends of the skids are bolted to an axle, B, having groundwheels B, and the upper ends of the skids are supported by handles C C, secured to the skids at a suitable distance from the lower end and extending downwardly and rearwardly to the ground, whereby the skids and handles form a Y-shaped frame. The load is laid upon the skids, and the skids are of such length as may be desired.

1) is a plate having checks (1 cl, and pro vided with longitudinal slots (Z if desired, to secure it adj ustably to the outer face of the skids and near the axle by bolts (1 and between said cheeks is pivoted a jaw, E,having a claw termination at the upper end to grapple the load. To the end of the jaws below the cheeks is pivot-ally sleeved a box, 6, in

which is secured adjustably by a screw, f, the outer end of two toggle-bars, g g, their inner ends pivoted together through a sleeve, h, to form a knuckle-joint, and said bars eonnect the jaws E E, so that by deflecting the kn u ekle-j oin t by the foot the toggle-bars draw the lower end of the jaws inwardly to move theupper end outwardly when discharging a load, and by a reverse fiexion of the togglebars the upper ends of the jaws move inwardly, and the claws grapple the load laden on the skids. Above the boxes 6 the jaws are connected by a spirally-coiled spring, j, which, by endwise contraction, keeps the toggle-bars from accidentally moving into alignment and thereby occasioning a premature discharge of the load.

H H are spring-bars, one end fastened to the skid and the other end extending past the j aw to which the said bar is riveted. The outer end of the bars H ll is bent inwardly, and the tension of said spring-bars is outwardly to follow the motion outwardly of the jaws. The inwardly'bent end of said bars H H closes against the end of the lower box or package of the load when the jaws are ap proached by the operation of the toggle-bars and assists to retain the load; but when the toggle-bars are deflected in the opposite direction the jaws recede and allow the load to slide down the skids, thereby doing away with considerable handling of the pieces.

When the truck is laden, the handles are raised from the ground by hand to about a level position, the skids then assuming an inclination of about forty-five degrees,whereby the wheeler can stand under the skids to wheel the truck and its load from place to place. Previous to wheeling, the wheeler deflects the toggle-bars with his foot, by pressing on the sleeve 71., the effect being to cause the jaws E E to grip the load and the spring side bars, H H, to close and resist any tendency of the load to slip, the spiral spring j then keeping the toggle-bars deflected. By

a reverse movement of the toggle-bars the jaws and spring side bars will widen apart, and both motions of the toggle-bars can be effected by the wheeler from his position between the handles.

I claim as my invention- 3. The combination, with the skids A A, 1. The combination, with the parallel skids provided with cheek-plates D, of the jaws E A A, secured to an axle, B, having Wheels B, E, spring side bars, H H, toggle-bars g g, and provided with handles 0 G, supporting and spirally-coiled spring j, as set forth. 5 the skids inclinedly, of the jaws E E, togglebars g g, and spring side bars, H H, as set DAVID M. MAOPHERSON. forth, for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with the skids AA, of WVitnesses: the jaws E E, toggle-bars g 9, boxes 0 e, and DUNCAN FRASER, 1o spirally-coiled springj, as setforth. DONALD J. FRASER. 

